HIGHLIGHTS Day 3 – 52 SUPER SERIES Valencia Sailing Week 2018

(Thursday 20th September, Valencia) – Although it proved to be the best day of the season for Eduardo de Souza Ramos’s Brazilian crew of Onda who – as best boat of the day – sailed to a second, a first and a third from a demanding three-race day at the 52 SUPER SERIES Valencia Sailing Week, regatta leaders Luna Rossa have now stepped three points clear at the head of the event standings and the three-way scrap for the second and third step on the season-long championship podium has become ever closer. With just two days of competition left of the five-event 2018 52 SUPER SERIES season, Azzurra compromised their second place position in the championship when they landed a penalty in the third race of the day. While they dropped to a seventh place finish, the race was won by closest rivals Platoon. Harm Müller-Spreer’s German-flagged team, who finished runners up last year, load more pressure on Azzurra and the podium fight looks set to go to the wire, as it has done for the last three seasons. Azzurra now have only three points of a cushion over Platoon and eight points on the Valencia regatta leaders Luna Rossa who seem to be replicating the same form that saw them win the Zadar Royal Cup earlier in the season in very similar streaky sea breeze conditions. Platoon staged a remarkable recovery in the first race. Called over early on the line they had to return and start 11th, but they – once more – showed an almost unerring ability to work their way through the fleet and finished fourth. Even at three points behind Azzurra, Platoon’s tactician John Kostecki, who won the 34th America’s Cup on these waters along with Platoon core crew Dirk de Ridder and Ross Halcrow, insists he will not, and does not like to look at the standings. 52 SUPER SERIES Valencia Sailing Week Regatta standings after day 3 1. Luna Rossa (ITA) (Patrizio Bertelli) (6,1,1,3,4) 15 p. 2. Platoon (GER) (Harm Müller-Spreer) (1,4,4,8,1) 18 p. 3. Azzurra (ARG/ITA) (Alberto & Pablo Roemmers) (2,3,3,5,7) 20 p. 4. Alegre (USA/GBR) (Andrés Soriano) (4,5,5,4,5) 23 p. 5. Onda (BRA) (Eduardo de Souza Ramos) (10,8,2,1,3) 24 p. 6. Quantum Racing (USA) (Doug DeVos) (8,2,6,6,2) 24 p. 7. Sled (USA) (Takashi Okura) (5,10,8,10,6) 39 p. 8. Provezza (TUR) (Ergin Imre) (9,11+ 2 penalti,7,2,9) 40 p. 9. Phoenix (RSA) (Hasso/Tina Plattner) (3,6,9,12RET+2 penalti, 11) 43 p. 10. Gladiator (GBR) (Tony Langley) (7,9,11,7,10) 44 p. 11. Paprec (FRA) (Jean Luc Petithuguenin) (11,7,10,9,8) 45 p.